Moving picture projector



Oct. 14, 1941. E. J. SAUNDERS MOVING PICTURE PROJECTOR Filed March 25, 1939 A700 J54 UNDEAJ Patented Oct. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOVING PICTURE PROJECTOR Eldon J. Saunders, Mount Clemens, Mich.

Application March 25, 1939, Serial No. 264,198

1 Claim.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a moving picture projector and more particularly to a device of this character adapted for home use for projecting pictures onto a screen, the pictures being in the form of cards carried by a spool as distinguished from the ribbon type of projector now so commonly in use.

The principal object of the invention resides in the provision of a device of the character described which is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction, which may be easily operated either by motor or hand, and in which the spool, which carries the cards containing the pictures, may be reversed so that pictures on both faces of the cards may be projected.

A further object of the invention consists in the provision of a novel form of easing or housing in which the spool containing the picture cards may be rotatably mounted, a light being provided in such a position that the rays therefrom will be reflected onto the surface of a vertically extending card containing the picture,

the picture from the card then being reflected in a straight line towards and through the lens of the device and thrown or projected upon a screen positioned and supported in the desired manner.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a novel means for securing the cards containing the pictures to a. spool. In certain instances the edges of the cards are secured to a fabric strip by adhesive and this fabric strip is wound around the spool and secured thereto by adhesive while in other instances the spool is formed with circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending grooves into which the edges of the picture cards may be inserted, one form of such spool being preferably formed of wood or similar material, the edges of the cards being inserted into the grooves and secured by adhesive, another form of the grooved spool being formed of rubber whereby the edges of the picture cards inserted into the grooves are resiliently held.

As a still further object I provide a casing or housing in which the spool containing the picture cards is rotatably mounted, the case or housing being shown as pivotally mounted on a base or support and adapted for adjustment to throw or project the pictures at the proper angle onto the screen or other surface although I wish it understood that, if desired, the casing or housing may be formed as an integral part of the base.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention consists in the novel details of construction and arrangement of parts, described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of the invention, as they now appear to me, it will be understood that such changes may be made as will fall within the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through the casing or housing with parts shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section with parts shown in elevation.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of one form of spool for carrying the picture cards, parts being shown in section; and

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of a slightly different form of spool for carrying the picture cards.

In the drawing I indicates a base having the upstanding lug or projection 2 to which the casing or housing, indicated generally at a is pivotally connected by means of the transversely extending bolt 3 having the wing nut 4 received on its threaded end. The casing or housing has the depending pair of lugs or plates 5 which straddle the upwardly directed lug or projection 2 of the base I and it will be understood that the bolt 3 passes through not only the lug or projection 2, but the lugs or plates 5, the parts being held in adjusted position by tightening the wing nut 4 on the bolt 3 or released for adjustment by releasing the wing nut 4. Although I have shown and described the casing or housing as being pivotally connected to the base it will be understood that, if desired or found desirable, it may be made as an integral part of the base.

The casing or housing a is formed with the opening 6 in one side face or wall and this opening is normally closed by the door 1 hinged at 8 and provided with the knob 9 for operating the latch [0, shown more particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawing. A bracket II is secured interiorly of the casing or housing and with that side face or wall of the casing or housing opposite to the face or wall having the opening 6 forms a bearing for rotatably mounting the square shaft [2, which has the rounded end extension [2, which is received in openings formed in the bracket II and the side wall or face of the casing a. Secured to .jected from opposite sides of the cards.

the rounded end portion I2 of the shaft I2 is the gear I3 which meshes with the gear I3 carried by a horizontal shaft I4 also rotatably mounted in the side face or wall of the casing or housing and the bracket I I, as is quite clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. Secured to the outer end of the shaft I4 is a crank or lever I5, having the hand grip I5, by which the shaft I 4 may be rotated to in turn rotate the square shaft I2 due to the intermeshing of the gears I3 and I3. A spool I6, having a square opening, is adapted to be received on the square shaft I2 and secured to this spool is a plurality of cards II having pictures on opposite faces thereof. The end edges of the cards H are secured to a fabric strip I8 by adhesive and this fabric strip is wound around the spool and secured thereto by adhesive.

An inwardly directed arm I9 is preferably secured to the casing, as shown more particularly in Fig. 1 of the drawing, by rivets or other suitable 'fastenin'gs 20, and the inner end of this arm "is bent to extend substantially horizontal as shown at 2|, to engage the cards I! containing the pictures, adjacent their free ends, as shown more particularly in Fig. 1 of the drawing, this arm I9 permitting the cards to be held momentarily as the shaft I2, with the spool I6, is rotated and then to be snapped to extend into vertical position to receive the light rays. The arm -I9 will preferably be formed of such material that it might be slightly bent for adjusting or, if desired, may be adjustably-secured to the casing or housing in any desired manner. One of the cards, shown at 22, is in its vertically extending position to receive the'light rays, indicated by the lines 23, reflected from the lamp or bulb 24 by the inner surfaces'oi the casing and the rays are directed from the exposed face of the card in a direction along the lines 25 through the lens indicated generally at 26, from which the 'picture is projected onto the screen shown'at 21.

The lamp-or bulb 24 is supported by the bracket shown at 2-1. For holding the spool I 6 on the shaft l2, against accidental longitudinal movement, a plate 28, having the resilient arms 29, is secured to the inner face of thedoor I by means of rivets or other suitable fastenings,

with the ventilating openings 3! and '32 over which extend the deflectorsor hoods 33 and 34 respectively.

From the aboveit is thought that the detailed construction will be understood, butI-want tolay particular stress on the fact that the cards, containing the pictures, are carried by a spoolwhich is readily reversible so that picturesmay bepro- When it is desired to reverse the spool I6 the latch I'll may be released by rotating theknob 9 and the door I opened by swinging on its hinge "8. The

spool may then be removed from the shaft by shaft. When replaced upon the shaft the door M will be closed and the end of the spool engaged by the resilient arms 29, as previously described.

The shaft I2, as previously stated, will be rotated through means of the gears I3 and I3, the shaft I4 carrying the gear I3, being preferably rotated through means of the crank or lever I 5 although, if desired, a motor may be used. I also lay particular stress on the fact that the light rays from the bulb or lamp 24 are reflected by a portion of the casing or housing directly onto the face of a vertically extending card containing the picture and the light is then reflected towards and through the lens 26, so that the picture is projected upon the screen 27. Preferably the casing or housing, as a whole, may be adjusted relative .to the base I by manipulation of the wing nut 4, it being understood that when the wing nut is loosened the casing or housing may be swung on its pivot formed by the screw 3. I have provided a simple and inexpensive construction whereby pictures may be projected or reflected onto a screen and this form of my projector may be used instead of the moving picture projector of the ribbon type. The pictures may be shown in black and white or other color. The end 2|, of the arm I9, properly engages the cards to hold them in the positions shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing and the successive cards are snapped or released into the vertical position shown .by the card 22 so as to properly receive the light rays and to project or reflect the picture from the card through the lens onto the screen.

In Fig. 4 of the drawing I have shown a slightly modified form of spool for carrying the picture cards. 'In this form of the invention the spool, indicated at .35, is formed of rubber with longitudinally extending slits indicated at 36. The spool is further provided with a square central opening to receive the square shaft I2. In this form of the invention the bottom edges of the cards, containing the pictures, will be placed in the slits and held therein by the yieldable engagement due to the fact that the spool is of rubber.

In Fig. 5 of the drawing I have illustrated a still further modified form of spool which is indicated at 31 and has the square central opening 38. This form of spool is preferably of Wood and includes the circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending slits or grooves 39 into which the ends of the cards containing the pictures are "adapted to be inserted and secured by adhesive.

Having fully described my invention what 'I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A projector of thecharacter described includ- 'inga housing having an opening in one side-wall thereof, a door connected to the housing for swinging movement and adapted for normally closing the opening, "a bracket positioned in the "housing adjacent the side Wall opposite the side wall having the opening therein, a shaft having one end rotatably mounted in the bracket and side wall adjacent thereto, a spool carriedby the shaft and removable therefrom through the opening inthe side wall of the housing'when the door is open, picture bearing cards carried by the spool, and -a member carried by the "door, said member having resilient arms adapted to engage the endof the spool on opposite sides of the end of the shaft when the door-is'closed to position the spool -on the shaft and to hold the same against sliding movement thereon.

ELDON J. SAUNDERS. 

